The British government unequivocally recognizes opposition leader Juan Guaido as President of Venezuela – this is how the British Supreme Court decided in a litigation between the parties to the Venezuelan internal conflict about the ownership of more than $ 930 million in gold bars lying in the Bank of England. The Evening Express reports.
“Her Majesty's government recognizes Mr. Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela, and, as a result, does not recognize Mr. Maduro as the legitimate president,” the publication quotes Judge Nigel Tire.
The dispute arose due to the fact that the central bank of Venezuela BCV was going to transfer gold from a British bank to the accounts of the UN development program and thus spend it on medical goods and food for the population during the coronavirus crisis. The transfer, however, was stopped: the bank's governing council, specially created by Guaidó, declared its right to dispose of the gold.
The British court sided with the opposition: according to the judge, the pro-government governing council “can find a warmer welcome in countries whose authorities have taken a different position on the legitimacy of Mr. Maduro, but in England their requests are doomed.”
Earlier, President Nicolas Maduro decided to expel a representative of the European Union from Venezuela. He demanded that Europe show respect and also called its policy colonial.
This was a response to the fact that the European Union included 11 officials and parliamentarians of Venezuela in the sanctions list. This action was explained by the punishment for opposing the opposition led by Juan Guaido and “undermining democracy” in the country. They are banned from entering the territory of the association, and their accounts in European banks will be frozen.
At the end of April 2019, Guaido called on the military and people of the country to overthrow Maduro. He stated that the army sided with him and called what was happening “the final phase of Operation Freedom.” The next day, Maduro announced his victory over opposition forces. Russia supported the incumbent president, the United States recognized Guaido's legitimacy.
